The snow keeps falling in steady flurries as I am casually eating my soup at the dining room table. We’ve had almost four seasons in one day, which does not surprise anyone living in New England. I look at the clock staring in my direction to realize that it is not even noon, but I am already starving. This always happens when I get up early, despite the substantial breakfast I have every morning. I am craving lunch and welcome a few tartines with a bowl of warm homemade vegetable soup.

Mine is made of a head of yellow broccoflower cooked with lemongrass, ginger, garlic, parsnip, a potato and fresh herbs. The dish is easy to make, nothing fancy but rather the type of food you toss together quickly to use leftover vegetables when you decide to clean the fridge. The broccoflower is initially intended for another cooking project, but I do not have the time to get to it; making a soup becomes a great choice. I decide to make a few tartines to go with it: a few slices of my favorite bread topped with goat cheese — Coeur du Berry — thin pieces of Alaskan smoked salmon, steamed peels of zucchini and thin slices of pink radish. A few leaves of fresh Thai basil and gomasio complete my quick-to-make tartines.

You can find two types of broccoflower: orange-yellow or lime green. As suggested by its interesting name, this vegetable is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower, with a taste close to both. I particularly like broccoflower because of its eye-catching color, and have enjoyed preparing it a lot this winter. When it is steamed, I eat it topped with fresh herbs, a dash of fleur de sel and olive oil — a really healthy snack — or I also like to combine it with other greens in a stir-fry, to accompany a simple bowl of whole grain rice. Simple and delicious.

In a soup, it tastes equally satisfying. It reveals creaminess under a subtle taste of the combined vegetables and spices I add, with a warming yellow color to cheer anyone up. When I look inside my bowl from which steam escapes in curving lines, I get lost in my thoughts and dream that I am actually catching a glimpse of Spring lurking at the corner, as it is ready to come out.

“What is in the soup?” P. asks me when I pack a tupperware full for him to have for lunch.

“Let me know what you think later once you’ve tried it.”

Like me, he likes the addition of lemongrass. I have a stick in the fridge, along with a bunch of Thai basil and ginger left from an Asian shrimp coconut soup made a few days before: together, they give a somewhat Asian flavor to the dish, which seduce us both.

The large pot I prepare is enough for our lunch, and leaves me with plenty for another meal too. Isn’t this one of the joys about preparing soup? Make it in big quantity to eat over the course of the week when life is simply too busy; it keeps you warm and cozy inside during the coldest spells of winter.

I love cauliflower soup, and I love broccoli soup, so I’m not sure why broccoflower never occured to me. Those flavors sound lovely; I just used a stick of fresh lemongrass in some braised scallops I did the other day, and it’s my new favorite thing.

Although I post a comment for the first time, I have been observing your site for a little while now. I must admit I admire your potos. They are very very adorable. I wish I could make such photos. The broccoli soup seems interesting and worth testing in my own kitchen.

hi
I am always mesmerized by your photos!!!!
I love food photography and the way you take it i think its ultimate…
What is the type of camera you use?
Your food too is soooooo yummy looking ,that i always feel like trying it .but due to lack of all the ingredients in India it not always possible
Thanks for your lovely blog and being such an inspiration!!!!!!!!!!.

Béatrice Peltre is a food writer, stylist and photographer working out of her home studio in Boston.
She is a regular contributor to the Boston Globe Food Section, and her work has appeared in many publications
such as Saveur, Food and Wine, Whole Living, Fine Cooking, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, the Huffington Post,
the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Edible Boston, Living France, the New York Times Diner’s Journal,
and in many other international magazines.